Work Outs

After a few moments of friendly banter and the usual business updates, Shaun got around to what was the real matter. 'The pretty blonde, Tara I think it is; what do you know of her?'

'She's the reason this place isn't in the shitter like some of the other locations. That little lady could sale yellow snow to Eskimos; especially our female clients. She's a real team player too. If any of the guys are having trouble closing, she'll step in and salvage the whole thing. She knows people and exactly what they want. She gets results too. Her clients lose the weight she promises, which is why they keep coming back to her. But before you go getting any big ideas, she ain't interested in management. I asked a couple of months ago; she is definitely on the 'mommy' track,' the man finished.

Shaun's dark face covered his shock at this turn of events. He had not considered that she might be married already. The other guy seemed way too casual about the whole thing, even for a swingers club. He sure as hell could not imagine sharing any wife of his so easily with another man. He tried to sound casual about the next question that very well might determine a great deal about his future. 'She's married?'

'Nay, divorced, but she's got a teenage son. Sweet kid, he comes in here some days if his mom has afternoon clients. Real good mom that one, she schedules everything round that kid; so she's always there for him.'

Shaun felt the tension drain from his body at the man's words. He could not stop the broad smile from breaking across his dark face at those words. He had learned long ago to trust his gut instincts about people; and those words bore out what he had known the moment he laid eyes on the beautiful blonde that night. Not that he had expected to find his future wife and mother to his kids at a fucking swing club. She sure as hell would not be going back there that was for sure.

Shaun continued the conversation long enough to ensure that the man thought nothing of his inquiries other than normal curiosity about an employee. Then with a nod and firm handshake, he dismissed his colleague. Then he returned his mind to the woman and planning how best to achieve his goals.

Shaun Jackson had always planned his life carefully; setting and attaining almost all his goals. At twenty-five, he would appear to have it all. His career, although not the professional basketball to which he had once aspired, was going better than anyone would have thought. In some ways, blowing out his knee during his junior year at UCLA might have been the best thing that ever happened to him.

With the lure of professional sports gone, he had buckled down during his final year and a half in university. Although hardly graduating at the top of his class, he had managed decent enough grades in sports medicine and business. He had also begun his career with Fysique gyms during that time; first as a part-time personal trainer, like Tara. Once he graduated, he had gone full-time and quickly risen to manager. He had shocked everyone eighteen months ago, when he had taken over as regional director for the under-performing Valley locations. More surprising still was the rapid turnaround those gyms had seen under his motivational leadership.

Then a couple of weeks ago when he was feeling especially restless, thanks in large part to Tara Morgan, he had almost foolishly agreed to leave the safety of his now well-performing region for another under-achiever. Of course, the carrot that had been held out as incentive was pretty enticing, a vice presidency in the fitness division. He had only to perform the same miracle once again and he would be well ahead of his schedule; vice president at twenty-seven instead of thirty.

But it was his personal goals that were paramount in his mind at that moment. His twenty-sixth birthday was just three months away. He had planned to be married and starting his family by now. Granted the miraculous turn-around in the Valley had required him to work a few more hours than he had planned, but he had always managed to squeeze in at least two and usually three or more dates each week.

Yet he had not found a woman that quite suited his ideals. He knew he was picky, damn picky in fact. He had always been more attracted to blondes than women of his own race; despite the gentle ribbing of his aunties about needing a strong black woman. He also preferred older women; maturity was the biggest issue actually and he found women his own age particularly lacking in that characteristic. It was though the other requirements that proved especially trying to find; a lady to the world and a freak in bed.

It had seemed an insurmountable task until that night three months ago when his girlfriend of the moment Stella, who very much qualified as a freak in bed but was anything other than a lady, had drug him to his first swing club. He had been more than a bit reluctant, but he figured since he could tell already that this thing with Stella was not going anywhere, he might as well take a brief walk on the wild side.

Then he had seen her. Physically, she was everything that turned him on and more. Her dark blonde hair was obviously natural. Her blue eyes were large and expressive as she laughed with her friend over some shared secrets. Her body too was an amazing thing. In this industry and this silicon city, Shaun preferred his women all natural, toned but with a touch of softness that made them distinctly feminine. In a city such as Los Angeles with its actresses, models and fitness community that was especially difficult to find; women body builders, anorexics and nipped-tucked were far more common.

Tara Morgan was definitely all woman. He was damned determined too that she would be his woman. He just had to set about planning how to reach that goal with the same surety that had brought a black kid raised by his nana after his parents were killed to within reach of the seemingly unattainable goal of vice presidency of a major fitness company. Shaun was used to reaching his goals and getting what he wanted and right now he wanted Tara Morgan.